why do so many people these days feel entitled to ruin fishing forever?
i’ve fished florida, texas, georgia and offshore for nearly 20 years and i can tell you for a fact that the fish 20 years ago were about 3 times more plentiful than today. people simply dont care about fishing and boating regulations anymore, why is this? keeping way over the limit, keeping out of season and too small/too large fish that they feel they just “couldn’t pass up”. it’s extremely selfish and they are ruining fishing for our children forever. these idiots just cant get it in their heads that their destructive decisions truly count, or they just dont care because they’re so childish they think “its not going to severely hurt my generation so who cares”. look up percentages, this isn’t just some hippie slander, this is a very serious matter, especially to the anglers who SHOULD BE upholding this wonderful tradition with good conservation techniques, instead, even if they let the fish go they rough it up like its a ragdoll and it probably wont live, where did the respect go?
see this is what i mean, nobody gives a %^&# about this! keep on doing what you’re down, have fun now, go ahead and have an extra fish for the fryer that’s 3 inches too small, or eat a pregnant sponge blue crab, but dont complain when they are all GONE

Best answer(s):

Answer by Granny FranI know there are some folks – recreational fishers that keep the small ones – sometimes for their kids, to teach them the sport. Probably mostl because they are just ignorant about it. I think the bigger problem is the chemicals in the waterways from the boats, the foreign fish, organisms that have been introduced and tend to wipe out whole populations in some areas.

I think folks should be concientious about it and abide by the regulations. There are changes in the works in many of the national parks to limit the fuels emissions,etc., but will it be enough in time? We humans as a species are big users of a lot of the earth’s resources, and there needs to be a change in mindset about it all.

Fishing is my favorite thing to do – I keep a few now and then for a meal or two, but generally put them back. I’ve been taught how to do it right. Maybe more education on the subject is necessary. Heck, I’ve even released a 150 lb. marlin, and loved every minute of it. My philosophy is if you ain’t gonna eat it – let it live.

Answer by topguntonyIve’d fished offshore Texas and California, I’m with you. We are
all at fault, It seems its not an important enough issue to warrent
a stop to a maturing problem. When I’ve seen the gillnet boats that Japan has those nets are 100 miles long with floats and weights. the hole size is 4in approx. they’ll get every fish that can get caught in them. With GPS and infared Imagery it is not going any better until theres nothing left . When Large Tuna in Japan are sold a 250 lb. fish will top $ 60,000. There high demand.

Answer by tony2kukI’ve fished all over the place and it’s the same whereever you go. problem is as fish become more scarce people feel they have a “right” to keep them as they have had to put in a lot of effort. the worst offenders are tourists who fish once a year and have no understanding of the problem.
When i first started 20 odd years ago catching a fish was almost guaranteed average catch was about 5-10 a day easily. now your lucky to even get that a month.

Answer by TcatI’ve fished both fresh and salt water all around the world thanks to Uncle Sam…. and I know what you are talking about.
I have kids and I try to teach them how to be sportsman. I stress catch and release. Such as with largemouth bass… If it isn’t at least 12 pounds… its released. With catfish in rivers… they have to be at least 30 pounds or back in the water. Catfish in ponds… 15 pounds or back in the water. Granted, I do enjoy eating fish, but I have standards. And when it comes to teaching kids… I stress catch and release.

I also sponsor fishing derby’s for the kids of soldiers who are deployed to the Middle East. These derby’s are all catch and release. And we also have US Fish and Game or the local conservation office come and teach classes on conservation, wildlife and the environment.

I’m no tree hugger mind you, but I like to have the opportunity to walk in the woods… throw a line in the river, pond, lake, ocean, etc… and catch a nice fish….. and I truely enjoy the company of my kids when I’m not deployed doing it with me. If we don’t protect the things we have…. we won’t have them long.

Answer by Bennie Yi guess i’m lucky for in my part of the country i don’t know what you’re talking about. I do agree that fish are harder to catch than they were 20 years ago, but if the conditions are right,(weather,boat traffic, etc.) I can catch fish just like we used to do. I also live on a small private lake where we restock (so I know fish are there) and fish in this lake are just as hard to catch as public waters if conditions are not right.

Answer by kspring1949i have found that people who keep fish that are to small use the wrong kind of hooks or wait to long to set the hooks. it would be nice if people would become better informed about fishing before they actually start to fish. i have used treble hooks but i am starting to get away from them because they are to hard to take out and i usually end up catching fish that are to small to keep

Answer by OLDSMOBOMB 1996I think a big part of the problem is that there’s not enough game wardens ( or Tree Cops ) as I like to call ’em, to go around and check for licenses or do creel surveys.
I have been fishing for 35 years and have been asked for my fishing license only twice.
Meanwhile I couldn’t count on both hands and feet how many times I’ve seen people with a total disregard for proper fishing etiquette…ie FOLLOWING THE RULES. It really is a shame, but unless the regulations are enforced more often so that there is a greater chance of getting caught, people will continue to be A-Holes. All we can do is try to guilt them into doing the right things.

Answer by huh?Don’t you think that commercial fishing outfits, where they net any and everything, do much more damage to the aquatic ecological system than your average surf-fisher, or even the sports-fishing boats? That is where my concern lies. BUT people are so reckless about all of our ecological systems. It’s that instant gratification, I can do what I want attitude. I do fish responsibly. Things are changing, we cannot deny that. I have heard stories of blue fish running so thick and close to the shore that you could walk on the water. But in my 12 years of surf-fishing, I have never witnessed that.
Just show by example that you are doing the right thing. Maybe it will catch on.